News Worthy

Oregon ranks first in breweries per capita, earning it nicknames like Beervana and Brewtopia so naturally that there’s a self-perceived air of being the center of the Brewniverse. Portland has the human and brewery population, but Bend has the density, thereby giving it the gravitational pull to pull off something astronomical. Like this: Worthy Brewing is launching its own observatory. The tagline: “Beertopia. Where Heaven Meets Earth.”

Worthy’s Lights Out stout pours with a dark brown to black color and a small amount of head that rapidly dissipates. Lights Out’s nose is a little sweet, a little malty, and has just a little sharpness present. The beer goes down extremely easily; there is a strong malt presence here that moderates some of the sweetness that is present in other beers in the style. There is a further dimension to Lights Out that ensures that one can open a few cans and stay interested; hints of dark fruit and cinnamon/clove can be picked out at points with this effort.

What is particularly impressive about Lights Out is that it has a higher ABV (7.7%) but tastes like a traditional (4-6%) stout. The bold set of flavors allows a variety of more delicate twists and turns to be present. While a great number of stouts wallop imbibers over the head with sticky sweetness and boatloads of malt, Lights Out stays interesting from beginning to end. This beer would be a great trade-up for those familiar with extra stouts currently on the market or those that typically delve into imperial stouts. The beer is able to keep its wide variety of flavors as it warms; as the beer approaches room temperature, the malt backbone stays strong and the beer becomes a little more dry. The refreshing of one’s palette with each subsequent sip means that one will be able to finish Lights Out quickly.

Bend Breweries Keep It Green

Environmental practices at work in the local brew scene

By Sophie Wilkins / The BulletinPublished Apr 17, 2015 at 12:07AM With Earth Day right around the corner on Wednesday, we should all take a look at how green we’re being. Are we recycling, composting, turning the lights off, etc.? The more important question to ask is, how green is your beer? (And no, not St. Patrick’s Day green beer.) Here’s a look at the sustainable practices local breweries are using to run their pubs and make their beer. Power conscious Worthy Brewing has 117 solar panels on its roof, both solar electric and solar thermal. The solar electric panels produce more than enough electricity to make the beer and run the pub, so the extra gets pushed back onto the public power grid. Typically used to heat swimming pools, the solar thermal panels create hot water, both for brewing beer and the restaurant’s hot-water needs. Water runs through the solar units on the roof and gets pulled into a giant holding tank, which is 125-140 degrees.“Not only is it saving money itself, but it takes 50 percent less time (to heat),” says Chris Hodge, CEO at Worthy Brewing.Humulus lupulus — aka the common hop. Native to North America, this vine — or bine — bears the conical flower that we here in beer country treasure for the flavor and bitterness infusing our favorite microbrews. Read more...

The Central Oregon climate is a good fit for one of brewing’s most loved ingredients

Humulus lupulus — aka the common hop. Native to North America, this vine — or bine — bears the conical flower that we here in beer country treasure for the flavor and bitterness infusing our favorite microbrews.Since the birth of Oregon, the state has been known for its hops. More specifically, the Willamette Valley has been known for its hops. But that is changing as more and more folks are realizing Central Oregon’s hoppy potential.“I’m betting that very close to 100 percent of people think of Willamette when they think of Oregon hops,” says Miles Wilhelm, partner in the relatively new Smith Rock Hop Farm. “Central Oregon’s hop growing history is extremely sparse in detail and is just beginning to flourish.”It may be a surprise that hops can prosper in Central Oregon. When Mary and Chris Louis, owners of Flying Pig Hops, moved to the Terrebonne area from the mountains between Reno and Lake Tahoe, they stumbled upon Tumalo Hops, perhaps the oldest hop farm in Central Oregon, owned by Gary and Susan Wyatt, and exclaimed, “We can grow hops here!” And so can you! Read more...

In 2013, Worthy Brewing planted over 20 varieties of hop plants near its brewery at 495 N.E. Bellevue Dr., in Bend. Among them were experimental varieties suited for the high desert.

The result? You can see for yourself in our cover photo, taken by Dave Zinn in mid-August and featuring Worthy Brewing’s Garden Manager, Lisa Kronwall. The first to reach the top of the 12-foot trellis wire were Oregon’s regulars: Chinook, Sterling, Santiam and Nugget hops. Others bred by a team from Oregon State University and Indie Hops are also looking strong – Jack-in-the-Beanstalk strong, according to the Worthy blog. The brewery was looking for volunteer pickers, but by the time you read this, that opportunity may have come and gone. Hop harvest was predicted to start in late August and end in early September. Each mound or group of bines from one root is expected to produce 6-7 pounds of fresh hops Some of the fresh hop cones will be dried, but most will be used in fresh-hop beer, made on the brewery’s 5-barrel system. Worthy’s greenhouse and hopyard was dedicated last year to Dr. Alfred Haunold, the Austrian-born hopmeister at the helm of Oregon State University’s hop breeding program from 1965 to 1999. The program released 16 hop cultivars and breeding lines to the public, many of which are the high-aroma varieties found in Oregon’s IPAs Let’s face it,” said Chris Hodge, Worthy’s CEO, at the dedication of the hopyard last year. “The hop is a tough weed, but the gods did not intend for it to sprout up from solid volcanic basalt. We’ve designed and built raised beds to provide a nurturing home base for our noble flowers. We want to thank OSU - Dr. Shaun Townsend, in particular, Goschie Farms, Coleman Farms and Indie Hops for their expertise, without which we couldn’t have pulled this off.”

Worthy Bre﻿wing Releases Local 36 Red LagerJuly 28, 2014The latest seasonal release from Bend’s Worthy Brewing is their Local 36 Red Lager. This red lager was brewed in celebration of the 100-year anniversary of Local 36, a heat and frost insulators union from Portland, Oregon.When Worthy Brewing began operations back in early 2013, their foundation was built upon by the asbestos workers that risked their livelihood while exposing themselves to this mineral. Worthy’s founder, Roger Worthington, built a career out of representing the union’s asbestos workers, including his own father. “For over 24 years, it has and will continue to be my honor to represent some of the finest people in the world, without whom Worthy Brewing would not be,” says Roger. “Local 36 Red Lager is my way of saying thank you for their sacrifices and dedication.” Read more...

Raise a cu﻿p to Solidarity: New beer will take its name from a local union

A craft brewery in Bend, Oregon, is naming a beer after a Portland labor union: Local 36 of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers. The beer, by Worthy Brewing, will be called Local 36 Red Lager, and there’s a story behind it.

Brewery owner Roger Worthington is a California lawyer specializing in representing workers exposed to asbestos. Asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral, is made up of tiny fibers that are as strong as steel but can be woven like cotton and are highly resistant to heat. Before 1975, it was used heavily in shipyards, construction, and many other industries. But breathed into the lungs, the fibers can lodge in tissues, resulting in changes to the cells that may eventually lead to mesothelioma, asbestosis and other cancers. Long after they knew the harm asbestos was causing, companies continued to expose workers, and that became the grounds for decades of lawsuits by workers who developed asbestos-related diseases. Read more...

Worthy B﻿rewing Hires New NW Regional Sales ManagerJune 10, 2014

BEND, ORE. - In the wake of Worthy Brewing's 240-barrel expansion, the brewing company has hired a new Northwest Regional Sales Manager, Rick Nickerson.

Nickerson - a husband, father and Operation Desert Storm veteran in the Marin Corps - started working int eh food and beverage industry in 2003 as a bartender and manager at Park Kitchen in Portland, Ore. From there, he worked as an account sales representative at Columbia Distributing until 2008, when he started on-premise work for Pyramid/Mac's and later Full Sail Brewing Company. He will be based in Portland. Read More...

Worthy Brewing ﻿Hires ﻿New NW Regional Sales ManagerJune 10, 2014

BEND, ORE. - In the wake of Worthy Brewing's 240-barrel expansion, the brewing company has hired a new Northwest Regional Sales Manager, Rick Nickerson.

Nickerson - a husband, father and Operation Desert Storm veteran in the Marin Corps - started working int eh food and beverage industry in 2003 as a bartender and manager at Park Kitchen in Portland, Ore. From there, he worked as an account sales representative at Columbia Distributing until 2008, when he started on-premise work for Pyramid/Mac's and later Full Sail Brewing Company. He will be based in Portland. Read More...

﻿Worthy Brewing ﻿Releases ﻿New Worthy IPA CanJune 5, 2014

BEND, ORE – A new look is coming to Worthy Brewing Company’s most popular flagship beer, Worthy IPA. The 12-ounce six-pack cans will now be packaged in a “hopgreen” can. “The change is for a more consistent look in the retail market,” reports Worthy’s Creative Director, Dave Zinn, “The new look of the green can will better align with the current portfolio of our packaging.” The updated packaging is expected to hit retail markets the week of June 12. Read More...

Mosaic Tile Morphs B﻿rewery into a Work of Art

Themed mosaic tile murals coat the floors and walls of the newly opened Worthy Brewing Co. in Bend, OR, featuring custom-cut glass and stone pieces in more than 80 different colors.

When Roger Worthington was brainstorming how he wanted his new microbrewery and restaurant Worthy Brewing Co. to look, he pictured a biker-themed space that highlighted his love for riding. However, with the help of fellow biker and designer, Rick Skalak of Vita Nova Mosaic, Inc., Worthington was able to create a theme more in tune with his business, emphasizing the two most important aspects of his facility — beer and food.

The Worthy Brewing Co. is a brew pub located in Bend, OR, which brews 18 different kinds of homemade beer, all in the comfort of its neighboring 22,000-square-foot microbrewery. The restaurant attached to the microbrewery offers a supercharged pub food menu, featuring wood-fired pizza made with homemade dough and other revamped classics. Read more...

Forget about the aggressive name. Worthy's Eruption is more sports car than volcano. This beer boasts a lot of horsepower with 8 percent ABV and 100+ IBU, but those numbers are misleading. Far from an explosion, it's all about skilled handling of powerful elements. The result is a medium-full bodied, quite drinkable beer.With subtle malt-sweetness and pronounced fruity esters, Eruption carries a distinctive apricot note. The hop aroma is quite strong, but not loud. The alcohol is well balanced and almost hidden. But make no mistake, this is a boozy beer.Eruption is for hop-heads seeking a break from the flood of IPAs and IIPAs. It's an excellent beer for food pairing and will shine next to red meat or pork with fresh herbs, or—perhaps more timely—Easter lamb. Worthy has already made popular beer in its brief time on the scene, but Eruption is easily its most refined to date.

Bend, Oregon – Worthy Brewing Company wants everyone to try the most popular of its flagship beers, Worthy IPA. To satisfy the buying habits of most consumers, the Bend, Oregon brewery is expanding the packaging for the Worthy IPA family to include 22 oz bottles and six pack 12 oz bottles. On the heels of the brewery’s first anniversary, these new packaging options will be joining the current offering of six pack 12 oz IPA cans, which also soon have a new look.Renowned for his IPAs, Brewmaster Chad Kennedy raised the bar. This clean, crisp, and refreshing beer is amazingly balanced. A tribute to Worthy’s friends at Indie Hops, Worthy IPA is bursting with the finest hops Oregon has to offer: Nugget, Centennial, Meridian, Crystal and Horizon. John Foyston of The Oregonian has even dubbed Worthy IPA as “…the best IPA ever.” The year round releases of the expanded packaging will be distributed by Columbia Distribution in Oregon and Washington and by Hayden Beverage in Idaho. Read more...

﻿Hops ﻿﻿Univer﻿sity﻿﻿﻿Worthy Brewing is changing what you drink one experiment at a timeBend SourceMarch 13, 2014BY ETHAN MAFFEY

There may not be an online distance-learning course for the experimental hops project at Oregon State University, but there is remote access to the vast knowledge being cultivated by the plant geneticists and fermentation scientists at the school; it's called a phone call with program donor and hops aficionado Roger Worthington of Bend's Worthy Brewing.From his office in Los Angeles, Worthington—who makes his home in Bend—was eager to talk about developing the perfect hop cone (the part of the female hop plant that is used in brewing beers). In his opinion, the key to the future of craft beer is creating new strains of hops that are better at resisting disease and above all else, deliver complex aromatic oils.A few years back, Worthington says, that future was in jeopardy. Read more...

﻿Source ﻿SudsWorthy Brewing made us a beer!Bend SourceMarch 13, 2014BY JAMES WILLIAMS

If you made it to our March 10 Media Salon, "The Science of Beer," you probably enjoyed one of those experimental brews—a delicious dry-hopped pale ale made for us by Worthy Brewing Company in celebration of the event and our inaugural beer issue. We love the burst of aromas produced by dry hopping (adding another round of hops late in the production process, after fermenting) and Source Suds, our custom Worthy beer, was exemplary—lots of bright, fresh-hop aromatics and no bitterness.Worthy, as brewmaster Chad Kennedy explained, is in a particularly unique position to experiment with hops as the eastside brewery has been working closely with Oregon State University and Indie Hops to develop new hop strains. Indie Hops was co-founded by Worthy owner Roger Worthington. Read more...

Worthy ﻿Br﻿ew﻿ing Turns 1Bend brewery celebrates with a week of events, specialsBend BulletinFriday January 31, 2014It’s hard to believe that a year has already passed since Worthy Brewing Co. first opened its doors on Bend’s east side.And while its getting tougher and tougher these days for a new brewery to make an impact on the ever-growing and expanding Central Oregon craft beer scene, it’s undeniable that Worthy has done just that. In its first year, the brewery can already boast a killer IPA, a growing line of innovative craft beers, a hops greenhouse and a bar that’s more interesting than most, having been constructed from wood used in the Oregon State Hospital in Salem (formerly known as the Oregon State Insane Asylum). Not to mention, Worthy’s “beer campus” is located in a part of Bend that’s been largely untapped by local brewpubs. Read more...

Worthy Brewing One Year ReviewNew School Beerby Samurai Artist Monday, January 27, 2014

Much has already been written about the epic brewing project that is Roger Worthington and Chad Kennedy's Worthy Brewingin Bend. We covered it early on, and I have heard over and over how impressive the operation is, but I did not get to see it for myself until this month. It turns out this is the perfect time to review Worthy, with its forthcoming first anniversary on February 4th and new bottle releases, experimental beers, and further growth in the works. I guess the brewery is worth a few more words, so we'll look back on the first year and see what's in store for the next. Read more...

Worthy Doubles DownExperimental beers and proprietary hop strains BY JAMES WILLIAMSJanuary 23, 2014 Bend Source WeeklyThe men behind Worthy Brewery aren't expecting to ride the crowded waves of the craft brewing boom. Instead, their eyes are on the horizon. Already they're out in front of trends, busily preparing and planning for that next set. In the nearly one year that Worthy has been open (its anniversary is this February), the eastside brewery has gone beyond the typical IPAs, porters and browns to produce more than a dozen out-of-the-box beer varieties. Most good, some exceptional, a few just "meh," but all were made while experimenting and tweaking traditional recipes.

But remember this: in brewing, as in life, the more one strives, the better the beer ultimately tastes.Think about operations at Deschutes and, more recently, Crux, 10 Barrel and GoodLife. All started by brewing adequate beer, but through trial and error, small-batch test brews, tinkering and local feedback, these Central Oregon all-stars refined and honed their concoctions into award-winning brilliance. We're happy to see Worthy doing the same.A recent exemplar is the Worthy seasonal Dark Muse, a luscious, black, brooding Imperial stout that was featured at McMenamins' High Gravity Extravaganza last Saturday. Subtly sweet and thick with roasted grains, this 10.1% ABV beer may be Worthy's best yet (on tap now and available at select bottle shops). But more experimental beers are soon to follow.Already brewmaster Chad Kennedy has two, five-barrel fermentation tanks filled with a hoppy dunkelweiss and a dry-hopped red lager as part of their Heart & Soul series.What's more, since 2009 Worthy owner Roger Worthington and his side venture, Indie Hops, have been collaborating with Oregon State University in pursuit of the perfect hop cone. The goal? To become one of the go-to sources for designer hops, a mark Worthington hopes to hit within the next two to three years. Already harvesting the literal fruits of their labors, Kennedy has selected a few of his favorites from among the 21 genotypes available, and in a few short weeks we should be sipping the first beers made from Worthy's in-house hops. That's innovation.

No, the east side does not have fine dining. Not yet. There is no slick décor Zydeco and no 5 Fusion top-grade sushi. But that doesn't mean the east side is a diners' wasteland. Hardly.Baldy's offers scrumptious barbecue, The Phoenix is a bustling steakhouse, and the popular Jackson's Corner plans to open its second location near St Charles Medical Center—and, in the process, pioneering a space on the east side for local eats, clever salads and the chattering Patagonia crowd. Read more.

Worthy Brewing Company makes the best IPA in Oregon, and therefore the world." Branden Anderson

Worthy Brewing, located deep in Bend’s Eastside, was opened February of this year in a city that prides itself in a good IPA and earning your position in the social ladder. Worthy decided they didn’t have time for that nonsense and skipped that step hopping straight into craft brew dominance when they built a MASSIVE, 21,000 square foot brew campuscontaining everything from a fresh hop garden to bag-toss court (seriously, ask the bartenders for bean bags…you wont regret playing the classic lawn game with an IPA in your hand). Read more.

Worthy Brewing honored for “Brewing New Opportunities” in Central Oregon

The Building A Better Central Oregon (BBCO) group on October 24, 2013 recognized Worthy’s commitment to conservation with the “Brewing New Opportunities.” “We are extremely honored by the award,” beamed Chris Hodges, Worthy’s CEO. “We’re very happy to take a leadership role in implementing green technologies, as well as creating long term, sustainable jobs.” Read more.

Brewers Association - A Toast to Chad Kennedy

"I am the founding brewmaster at Worthy Brewing [in Bend, Ore.]. I worked for a large brewery on the East Coast in the early 90s, but my first craft brewing job was for a specialty distributor in Portland a decade later." Read more

Growing their own: Bend restaurants are harvesting from their on-site gardens and serving up fresh for you!

One of Bend’s newest breweries is also one of the greenest, most agriculturally-focused. Worthy Brewing has its own hop growing yard, which doubles as a hop research facility for Oregon State University. Besides hops, they also grow a wide range of produce they use for creating tasty dishes in the kitchen.

Right now, they have an abundance of cucumbers, zucchini, sorrel, basil, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. The tomatoes and cucumbers end up in a variety of salads, while the zucchini is a side dish accompanying the blackened salmon entrée. Read More

Solar Powered Worthy Beer

You can almost taste the sunshine in Worthy Brewing beers. The Bend business uses solar energy to heat its water and help power its new energy-efficient brewery and restaurant. The result is an operation that delivers for the environment and the bottom-line. Read More

During a time of tumult in the hop industry, Jim Solberg and Roger Worthington saw an opportunity.

A shortage of hops around 2008 left many craft brewers paying high prices for the crop and worrying about future availability.

Meanwhile, Anheuser-Busch -- a major hop buyer -- was taken over by the Leuven, Belgium-based conglomerate Inbev, which would prove to have major consequences for growers. The brewing titan that emerged from the acquisition preferred to keep lower inventories of the aroma hops commonly grown in Oregon's Willamette Valley, Solberg said.

"The Willamette Valley was clearly going to bear the brunt of the change," he said.

Worthington, an attorney, and Solberg, a former Nike executive, decided to launch a company, Indie Hops, with the goal of improving stability for craft brewers and aroma hop producers. Read more...

On July 10, Bend beer drinkers will get to raise a pint of "Gary's No Quit Wit," Worthy Brewing's latest creation, in honor of Bend living legend Gary Bonacker, Sunnyside Sports co-owner and mountain bike pioneer. Also, cancer fighter and creator of Tour des Chutes, a benefit ride he created.Ten years ago Bonacker was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Now 58, Bonacker is mostly off the bike and in and out of chemotherapy and radiation. Somehow he's retained his signature smile and even makes it into his bike shop for light-duty work. It's a far cry from his former life as singletrack explorer. Read on...

Brewery Experiments with Hops

A crisp, lemon-like aroma filled a large storage refrigerator at Worthy Brewing Co.'s east Bend production facility when brewmaster Chad Kennedy opened a foil bag of Meridian hops and started running his fingers through their light green cones.

“Hops aren't a big beer ingredient in terms of their weight," said Kennedy, who compared the types of hops he uses to make Worthy Brewing's signature beers to the types of herbs and spices chefs use when preparing their food. “But in terms of their flavor they can have a pretty big impact." Read on...

“W” can stand for a lot of things, but in the case of the eastside Bend-based fledgling Worthy Brewing project - which could be the most ambitious start-up yet in the bourgeoning craft beer industry - you’re mostly just left mouthing “Wow…”

The awe is inspired by the sheer scope of the “Beertopia” vision formulated by founder Roger Worthington and the ace team he has assembled, culminating in the completion of a three-acre campus encompassing a modern steel-framed 30,000 square foot building including an expansive 30-barrel production brewery and full-service restaurant (complete with wood-fired stone hearth) as well as a Bavarian style beer garden, hop garden, herb garden and greenhouse. Read on...

Worthy Brewing Co - New Solar Brewery Coming to Bend, OR

Conklin, NY, February 16, 2013/mbb/ --(PR.com)-- SunMaxx Solar, a leading, vertically integrated manufacturer of solar thermal systems and components, is proud to announce the installation of a solar thermal system at the new Worthy Brewing Company in Bend, Oregon.

Sunlight Solar Energy installed the system that included 56 TitanPower Plus SU24 roof mounted solar hot water collectors and a StorMaxx non-pressurized 2000 gallon solar storage tank that will supplement the solar breweries domestic hot water. The system is projected to provide an approximate 20% solar fraction for brewery. Read on...

Opening Night at Worthy Brewing

The Bend Beer Blog February 5, 2013

Braving the crowds and the east side, I checked out the first night at Worthy Brewing, the new brewery/brewpub in Bend. We knew it would be a bit of a cluster, but willing to accept that fact, the wife and I went anyway.

They Keep Bubbling Up

Customers fill the restaurant at Worthy Brewing on Monday, the official opening day for Bend's newest brewery. Worthy Brewing Co. fills about 28,00 square feet of a two story building and features brewery, restaurant, a future hops garden and greenhouse. The company has built a small pilot brewing system to make experimental brews and a production system with a 50,000 to 70,000 barrel annual capacity. The restaurant features a hearth oven and a menu highlighting a variety of pizzas along with other pub fare.

Worthy Brewing soft opening

Today was the official soft (“quiet”) opening for Bend’s new Worthy Brewing, one of the area’s most highly anticipated new Bend brewery openings based in no small part on the sheer size and ambition of the project. Naturally, given that I’ve been following the progress of Worthy fairly closely since it was announced (you can review my Worthy-related posts here), it was a given that I’d be attending this opening, and documenting it. Here’s my photo review, with some commentary. Read on...

Worthy Brewing Co Set to Unleash "Beertopia" on Bend

Craft beer drinkers in Bend, Oregon, will finally be able to answer the question, “Am I Worthy?” when Worthy Brewing Co. opens to the public today, February 4th. Worthy's been filling almost 3 acres on Bend’s east side with hop gardens and a greenhouse, a beer garden, a stone hearth oven, a large and inviting tasting room, and a cavernous, high-tech production facility.

Two things are immediately evident upon arrival: Worthy Brewing absolutely did not start small, and the place did not cut any corners. The brewery is over 30,000 square feet, and can produce upwards of 60,000 barrels of beer per year. As Worthy’s Brewmaster Chad Kennedy puts it: “We’re not just a brewpub. We have plans.” The founders thought of everything, and they figured out how to do it with a sustainable footprint. Windows face west to capture afternoon sunlight, 75% of their power comes from solar, and there is an on-site wastewater treatment plant. Read on...

Worthy Brewing's taplist for Monday's opening

The new Bend brewery --- where Chad Kennedy of Laurelwood fame presides over a big production brewery, a 30-barrel brewhouse and an Italian canning machine that can turn out 4,000 12-0z. or 16-oz cans per hour --- opens on Monday and they just sent out a list of the beers on tap for opening day...

We can't afford the nut for a Super Bowl ad, for now, but we thought you might be interested in what Worthy's brewed up for our own Worthy Bowl Monday. Here's the starting rotation: Read on...

Worthy Brewing Got it Right

We went to the MASSIVE Worthy Brewing campus last night to see what all the flap was about. They're not officially open to the public until Monday, Feb. 4, but we put our journalist credentials to good use and went for an early beer and pizza. We got both, as well as a tour from Mr. Worthy himself.

Roger Worthington, owner, bike racer and practicing attorney, met us near the door. He's intense! Which is probably how he managed to do a bang-up job on his first restaurant/brewery venture. Worthington knows what he wants and he knows how to go about getting it done. The evidence was everywhere. Read on...

Pint Sized Profile: Chad Kennedy, Worthy Brewing Co.

Give us some background about you and Worthy." I moved to Bend from Portland last summer to build Worthy Brewing on Highway 20, set to open this month. Our brand new building houses a full production brewery along with a greenhouse, herb gardan and hop yard. Our restaurant features a wood-fired pizza oven and an outdoor beer garden." Read on...

HOP, OREGON: A budding story of the country's most cutting-edge hop region.

Excellent article that connects the dots between the hop growers (e.g. Goschie Farms), the hop merchants (e.g., Indie Hops), and the Oregon craft brewers (e.g. HUB and Oakshire). Fittingly, the writer Sophia McDonald tells the story about how Indie Hops was hatched at the HUB in Portland on a starry starry night. Read on...

Making Worthy Progress

The two-story, 28,000-square-foot structure recently built near Bend's eastern city limits has been dubbed a beer campus, not simply a brewery.Construction crews have been turning the 3-acre parcel near U.S. Highway 20 and Northeast 27th Street into the new home for Worthy Brewing Company, which will have a brewery, restaurant, hops garden and greenhouse. Read on...

Can It!

C.O. brewers finally catch up with the Bend lifestyle and the canned beer revolution

Cracking a post-recreation celebration beer makes a lot of sense.

It makes even more sense when that beer is in a convenient, tasty package—such as a can. Until recent years, though, macro-breweries were the only businesses offering canned beer—if you wanted a micro brew it was glass bottle or nothing. But, 10 years ago, Colorado's Oskar Blues Brewery blew minds by canning their delicious craft beer. And thus began the craft canning revolution. Read on...

Bend's Eastside gains a 'Worthy' brewery

BEND, Ore. -Construction is under way on the east side of town as crews complete one of Bend's newest breweries.

"We did look at several different places to put a brewery," Worthy Brewing Company Brewmaster Chad Kennedy said Wednesday. "In Portland, and Northern California and then Bend -- and the choice was pretty easy." Read/View on....

Turning Sunshine Into Beer: Worthy Brewing installs solar panels

These solar panels are going in RIGHT NOW at Worthy Brewing, eastside Bend's newest brewery.According to brewmaster Chad Kennedy, the photovoltaic system will provide about 20 percent of Worthy's water-heating needs—which is a lot. Heating water is a necessary part of the brewing process. Duh!Kennedy said he's psyched to finish closing up the building, which should happen soon as the cooler and boiler are already in and the windows are being installed this week. But the real excitement for Worthy's head brewer will come in mid-November. That' when the brewing equipment is scheduled for arrival. Read on...

Brewery being build in Bend

Chad Kennedy is building a new brewery in Bend. The very concept brings out his poetic side.“We vow that from these volcanic depths, suds will spout,” he waxes rhapsodically on Worthy Brewing’s website. “From this barren land, hop and herb gardens will flourish. From this pumice field, plump trees will rise up to shade a Bavarian garden, where pints of frothy artistry will clank and laughter will ring out.” Read on...

What's Going UP

On nearly 3 acres on Bend’s east side, just off U.S. Highway 20, there’s room for more than just a brewery.In addition to the walls and roof surrounding its 30-barrel brew system, Worthy Brewing Co. is constructing a tasting room, a hop greenhouse, a hop garden, an herb garden, a beer garden, a fire pit, solar panels and other elements. The building will measure more than 28,000 square feet. Read on...

Worthy Brewing Ground Breaking Ceremony

Yesterday (Friday the 24th of February) was a perfect day for the official groundbreaking ceremony for one of Bend’s newest brewery ventures, Worthy Brewing Company—nearly 60 degrees, clear and sunny (contrasted with this morning as I write this, it’s snowing somewhat heavily).

Principals Chad Kennedy and Roger Worthington had arranged a nice setup to welcome guests to the groundbreaking: an outdoor event tent with tables and chairs for guests, a keg of Boneyard Beer‘s RPM IPA, and food provided by Stephanie Schultz (wood-fired pizza, a red cabbage salad, and chocolate stout cake). Read on...

Worthy Brewing Ground Breaking

This Friday, February 24th, is the official groundbreaking ceremony for Worthy Brewing, one of Bend’s newest breweries-in-development fronted by ex-Laurelwood Brewmaster Chad Kennedy (Facebook announcement). The ceremony takes place at 3pm and (I believe) both Kennedy and partner Roger Worthington (of Indie Hops) will be on-hand.Read on...

Chad Kennedy's New Bend Brewery - Worthy Brewing

The New SchoolJuly 7, 20111The latest edition of the Bend Bulletin sheds some light on departing Laurelwood Brewmaster Chad Kennedy's new brewery project in Bend, called Worthy Brewing.

If you have not been following the latest beer news, longtime Laurelwood Brewmaster Chad Kennedy announced recently that he was leaving Laurelwood to help open a new brewery in Bend. Read on...

Brewmaster Chad Kennedy Reveals Future at Worthy Brewing

We were thrilled that Chad Kennedy wanted to share with us some information on his future as brewmaster at Worthy Brewing in Bend, Oregon. Since breaking the news of Kennedy’s departure last week, we have, at the brewer’s request held back from saying too much too soon. Read on...

Worthy Brewing is located just East of 27th on Hwy 20 in Bend, Oregon - MAP IT